Northeast SD Ice and Fishing conditions

[bork55]

My group is heading up to Hidden Hills Lodge near Waubay in 2 weeks. Looking to figure out what kind of ice conditions we will be looking at and how the fishing has been up in the neck of the woods.

any feedback would be helpful!

[jigginjerk]

Give Sportsman Cove a call, they have a fishing report line that gives ice conditions and bite. You will wait a long time for anyone from SD to give you a report of any kind. You might get a report from a fellow MN angler though.

[bork55]

i have noticed them south Dakota anglers are pretty tight lipped!! but I guess I can understand why. They are sitting on some great lakes and they know how Minnesota people love to fish out lakes!

[beaver2011]

Your best bet is like was already stated- call sportsman’s cove and listen to the report. I have done a lot of fishing out there and you are going to receive next to no help from anyone in Sodak- for good reason as they’re on a gold mine! Watch dakota angler reports, listen to the cove’s updates, follow the fisheries reports and start connecting the dots, likely you will land on fish….unfortunately guys think that you are just going to go out there and slaughter fish immediately….I have had PHENOMENAL trips out there by literally soaking in as much as I could the weeks prior to going out and really doing my research. I have also gotten out there and tried to follow a “hot bite” and it was terrible. Good luck! Let us know how you do!

The rich man invests his money in silver and gold, the wise man invests his money in brass and lead

[snow]

I suspect the lodge your staying with will have info for you or they should,but as stated your smack dab in the middle of some darn good fishing country,reseach some of the lakes in the area,sdfgp will have creel reports on they’re web page,all part of scouting new locations.Good luck,hope to see your report when you get back.

PS~ x2 sportsman cove,its worth a visit to the shop,buy some bait and your license,they are a friendly sort.

[HotFiretiger]

We don’t have fish in South Dakota, guys.

[HotFiretiger]

But seriously, do research. Don’t go chasing this bite and that bite that you heard from a friend of a friend. Look at the GFP website, look at lake maps. You’ll catch fish. Good luck.

[bork55]

good info! we went on the same trip last year and had some good luck. I am hoping to making it so some other lakes this year if weather conditions are right. the best part of ice fishing is the hunt! love trying new lakes and popping as many holes as needed to find them fish!

[bork55]

just one question…. how much snow cover do you have in your neck of SD? any issues with snow drifts or getting in/out of lake accesses?

thanks!

[Haasey]

Leaving Friday for the same area, renting a castle though. Glad I’m not crazy for thinking info seemed a bit more difficult to come by than usual 😅. Just for fun, I recommend the bait shop in Waubay’s recorded fish report, never has so little been said in so many words… its really pretty funny.

[HotFiretiger]

If you stop in a pick their brain you’ll get a lot more information..

[bork55]

very smart to stay somewhat tight lipped about the fishing report I guess. you don’t want everybody and their dog to invade the area and fish it out like Minnesotans have done to a number of lakes when a area is hot.
But what’s funny to me is that I ask for ice conditions or access conditions for driving on the lakes and it seems nobody even wants to give that information as well.
ohwell, only another week to go and i’ll figure it out for my self!
and i’ll make sure to not share any info. to follow suite with South Dakota tradition!

[adicited2outdoors]

Fishing in South Dakota not what it was ten years ago. Good luck!!

Coyote killer....

[snow]

I’ve been on northeast south dakota early ice many times,its seems the locals are fearless when it comes to driving on the lakes,I’ve been on 8″s of ice at times with my wheeeler and around prime time here comes the locals driving their pickumup trucks,water surging up and down in my holes,crazy some beeches.

[HotFiretiger]

It’s getting to be such a popular location, I understand why people don’t give information. Last season, I went to a Bluegill fishing spot that I thought was somewhat hush only to pull up to the lot to see 30 vehicles. 22 of which were from Nebraska, Iowa and Minnesota. They were all walking off the lake with bucket-fulls of 9″-10″ Gills. So don’t expect people to give up information. I’ve had lots of people PM me asking for tips. When I first started on this site I was willing to help but I asked they give me a report after their trip. 90% of the people never got back to me. Hence, I no longer give anyone specific locations. Just the way it is.

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